Ep 10: Mecha Anime Tutorial

Topic: Mecha Anime

This week, Mom is out on Vacation, traveling the world as usual.  So we Invited my Little Brother to join us.  When asked what he wanted to learn about, Mecha Anime was what he said.  So here we go.  A primer on Mecha Anime!

 

Tutorial:

Mecha Anime:

Any anime/manga/media where robots exist within a show, and are important to the story being told.

Robot = Mech/Mecha

 

Two Major Sub-Categories:

• Super/Giant Robo/Robot
• Real Robot

 

History:

70s – Rise of Super/Giant Robot Series

Mecha shows easier to handle because you don’t need to draw faces.  Easier to produce in 70s.  Shows largely not about war/conflicts between humans.

Mazinger Z (1972)

• Dr Hell and Dr. Kabuto find ancient robots buried underground. Hell decides to use the robots to control the world, while Dr. Kabuto escapes and builds Mazinger Z before being killed by “half Man, Half woman” Baron Ashura.  Robot is passed on his grandson Kouji Kabuto, who fights against Doctor Hell.

Spin Offs

• Great Mazinger (1974)
• UFO Robot Grendizer (1977)
• Mazinkaiser (2002)

Getter Robo (1974)

• Three jets become one Super Robo, but can reconfigure in to three different modes

Daikū Maryū Gaiking (1976)

• Dinosaur like base ship where the head takes off and transforms in to Super Robo Gaiking

 

Super/Giant Robot Series

• Robots are unique, one of kind, un-replaceable
• Fantastical/Squishy in tech/creation
• Heroic in Nature
• Stories are usually involve the Robots more as a major element of the show than a tool
• Magical/Mystical/Extraterrestrial/Super Science in Nature
• Lend themselves to Monster of the Week / non-serialized
• Became stagnant toward end of 80s

 

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

Also known as (Gundam 0079)

• During the Universal Century, Human have created colonies in space, but there is unease as spacenoids feel that the Earth Federation won’t allow equal representation, thus Spacenoid rally around the Principality of Zeon and declare their freedom from Earth Federation, starting the “One Year War”. Zeon has mobile suits, which are a ‘HUGE’ tactical advantage. Earth Federation Create the White Base and goes to pick up the new RX-78 Gundam, but Zeon is in tow and attacks the colony, killing most civilians and Federation crew.  Amuro Ray becomes pilot for Gundam and the White Base launches out to defend against Zeon on their way home to Earth.

Gundam = White Devil

• V-fin helmet
• Samurai look/motif

Recurring themes

• Start in space, head to Earth, return to space to end
• Space Mobile Suits = 1 eye/ mono eye
• Earth/Federation Mobile Suits = glass visor for eyes
• Major Base to launch From, usually white in color
• Char Aznable – Villain, recurring theme of villain in Mask

Initially not popular, canceled at 39 of 45 episodes.  Rebroadcast as trilogy of movies in 1983

Gunpla = Gundam Model Kits

Spin offs:

Universal Century                                           

• Zeta (1985)                                                        
• ZZ (1986)                                                             
• 0083(1991)
• Victory (1993)                                                   
• 08 MS Team (1996)                                         
• Unicorn (2010)                                                 
• Thunderbolt (2015)                                       

Unique Series/Era/Centuries

• G Gundam (1994)
• Gundam Wing (1995)
• Gundam X (1996)
• Turn-a-Gundam (1999)
• Gundam Seed (2002)
• Gundam 00 (2007)
• Gundam Age (2011)
• Gundam IBO (2015)

 

Real Robot Series

• Mecha are realist/conventional in nature, albeit with unique power sources/futuristic weapons
• Tend to be government/organization led
• Possible to Replace within reason/mass produced
• Tools of the universe
• Often stories about War or major conflicts
• Lend themselves toward long, serialized shows

Super Sentai (1975)

• Known in the west as Power Rangers
• Basically Live Action Super Robo Series

 

 80s – Rise of Real Robots

Real Robot Series become mainstream as audiences begin to get tired of Formulaic Super Robot series. Many young adults were looking for more mature/serious mecha anime, allowing for Real Robot genre to take over.

The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982)

• Many Spin Offs

Armored Troopers Votoms (1983)

Volton (1984)

• US TV show incorporating footage of Golion and Dairugger

Transformers (1984)

• Lots of Spin Offs

Bubblegum Crisis (1987)

• Largely Females in Exo-skeleton Suits

Patlabor (1988)

• Mecha Cops

Gunbuster (1988)

• From Makers of Evangelion

 

 90 – Mecha Revolution

Real Robot / Gundam make big push in 90s, but lots of mech shows still show competition.  Lots of themes / traditions come out of 90s that are still seen largely today.  Very experimental.

 Brave Series (1990s)

• King of Braves GaoGaiGar (1997)

 Tekkaman Blade (1992)

• In the West as Technoman

 Magic Knight Rayearth (1994)

• Magical Girl / Super Robot Series

 Evangelion (1995)

• Mix of Real/Super Series
• Largely a deconstruction of Mecha Series
• Lots of largely psychological topics
• Genre Defining!

 Martian Successor Nadesico (1996)

 Vision of Escaflowne (1996)

• Lots of Female fans
• Largely Fantasy

 The Big O (1999)

 

2000s – Mecha Renaissance 

With introduction Digital Art/Inking, Anime become less expensive to produce, allowing more varied series to become introduced.  Varying art styles allow more trial and expressiveness.  Great Shows, Great stories, great characters

Sakura Wars (2000)

VanDread (2000)

RahXephon (2002)

• Similar to Eva in themes

 Diebuster (2004)

• Sequel to Gunbuster

 Aquarion (2005)

 Eureka Seven (2005)

• Skateboarding/snowboarding in the Sky Mecha

 Code Geass (2006)

• Mechs are only about 15-18 feet tall
• Largely move around on wheels
• Fun Mix of Mystical elements and Real Robot series
• Great cast/show
• One of the Greatest non-Gundam Real Robot series

 Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)

• From makers of Evangelion
• Very silly
• Creators would split to become Studio Trigger
• One of the Greatest modern Super Robot

 

 2010 – Decline of Mecha

Mecha Shows are more difficult to get going, with lots of shows almost never finding an audience. 

Landscape of Anime may have changed; seasonal anime dominates, where mecha tends to like longer /epic running series.  Also, many shows about conflicts aren’t as popular because we(Sic:Japan) aren’t really seeing or being influenced by war.  Mecha using more CG(Computer Graphics) to make mecha in shows, but don’t look good in an animated/2D Landscape. 

Star Driver (2010)

• Light Hearted, Fun Super Robot

 Aldnoah.Zero (2014)

• Good first season, ultimately disappointing

 Robot Girls Z (2014)

• Parody on Mazinger Z and various spinoffs

 Captain Earth (2014)

 Darling in the Franxx (2018)

• Interesting beginning, ultimately Disappointing

 

Review Material

Gundam Unicorn 0096 (Either on Crunchyroll or Netflix)

Star Driver (Crunchyroll)